468 APPENDIX C Model Standards and Guidelines for Utilization of Legal Assistants—Paralegals I PREAMBLE Proper utilization of the services of legal assistants contributes to the delivery of cost-effective, high-quality legal services. Legal assistants and the legal profession should be assured that measures exist for identifying legal assistants and their role in assisting at-torneys in the delivery of legal services. Therefore, the National Association of Legal Assistants, Inc., hereby adopts these Standards and Guidelines as an educational doc-ument for the benefit of legal assistants and the legal profession. Comment The three most frequently raised questions concerning legal assistants are (1) How do you define a legal assistant; (2) Who is qualified to be identified as a legal assistant; and (3) What duties may a legal assistant perform? The definition adopted in 1984 by the National Association of Legal Assistants answers the first question. The Model sets forth minimum education, training, and experience through standards which will assure that an individual utilizing the title “legal assistant” or “paralegal” has the qual-ifications to be held out to the legal community and the public in that capacity. The

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